Questionable Bamboo at San Diego Zoo?

[Eric Layton]

Just as I was getting started into bamboo a couple of years back I visited the San Diego Zoo. They have some very impressive bamboo!

I always try to find the name tags of plants that I like so I can find out more about them. There was one bamboo hedge that had very delicate foliage but it did not have a name tag.

So I contacted one of the horticulturists at the Zoo and he told me it was "Bambusa rivularis". I searched and searched and came up with......nothing!

The bamboo is located in panda canyon on the northwest side of the road. It is the shrub bamboo that is growing between the road and the wall outside of the giant panda display. The hedge is only about 4 feet tall. It may have been trimmed, but judging from the size of the culms, it couldn't get much taller than this.

I have included some not so good pictures that may help. Do any of you on this forum have an idea of what this bamboo could be?

Eric

<img src="http://xs412.xs.to/xs412/07082/BamRivularis2.jpg" title="Free image hosting powered by xs.to">
<img src="http://xs412.xs.to/xs412/07082/BamRivularis1.jpg" title="Free image hosting powered by xs.to">
<img src="http://xs412.xs.to/xs412/07082/BamRivularis4.jpg" title="Free image hosting powered by xs.to">

[Roy]

Maybe he spoke with an accent and said Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum', rather than the "Bambusa rivularis" that you heard:

<img src="http://www.bambooweb.info/images/bamboo/B.m.river05.jpg" alt="Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum'">

[Eric Layton]

Accents are kind of hard to hear through email

I thought about the multiplex riviereorum possibility.
Here are some snipets from the email exchange:

San Diego Zoo
We are checking on the species that you are talking about. I am however wanting to confirm that it is the low growing variety down there and not the taller one on the ends of the planter. That particular one is B. oldhamii, the smaller leaf, low growing type, we believe is Bambusa rivularis.

Eric
I have seen Bambusa olhamii, it is not that one. When I saw it last week it was about 4 feet tall, with small leaves, a delicate appearance and the leaf clusters almost fern-like. The planting looked like a hedge along the outside wall of the panda display. I would assume it is the Bambusa rivularis. There is a bamboo listed on the ABS species table that has a small stature and fern-like leaf clusters called Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum'; could this be the same bamboo?

San Diego Zoo
The multiplex 'riviereorum' is a tall growing variety and the rivularis species stays around 4 feet tall. I am sure that is the one you were referring to.

That's about when I figured I had reached a dead end with them.

[litibu]

Tropicalbamboo.com lists a small riviereorum called "tiny fern" - apparently a dwarf.

A dwarf form of B. multiplex Riviereorum with leaves often less than 1/4" long. Can grow to 3' tall with 1/8" diameter culms. Minimum temp. 18 degrees F.

Perhaps this is what they have

[Roy]

San Diego Zoo
The multiplex 'riviereorum' is a tall growing variety and the rivularis species stays around 4 feet tall. I am sure that is the one you were referring to.

Well, maybe he's right! The ABS Source List puts 'riviereorum' at 50 percent taller than their 'rivularis'. 6 feet for the 'riviereorum' and 4 feet for the 'rivularis'. So, 'riviereorum' is the tall(er) growing variety.

I'm not convinced. I'll bet if you turned a leaf over and looked at the back side of the leaf, then you would see a bluish-green color denoting a B. multiplex.

[litibu]

here is a link to a description of a small clumping bamboo called Greslania rivularis, one of 4 endemic boos in New Caledonia

http://www.kew.org/web.dbs/grasses-db/www/imp05151.htm

I cant find a pic of rivularis, but here is one of the other Greslania..

http://www.pbase.com/tanetahi/image/55975096

[Eric Layton]

Thanks Roy,
When I next visit the San Diego Zoo, I will make a closer inspection this bamboo. I will check out the back side of the leaves for the bluish cast. And some better photos would help Back then, I didn't know what to look for, I just liked what I saw. At any rate, it is most likely a bambusa and will not grow in my climate outside. It may turn out to B. m. riviereorum, or Tiny Fern. I was just curious as to where the San Diego Zoo came up with the rivularis name.
Eric

[litibu]

ok here is a link to a pic of G. rivularis

http://www.endemia.nc/plante/photo.php?code=14626

and

http://www.endemia.nc/plante/photo.php?code=14627

and

http://www.endemia.nc/plante/photo.php?code=10576

maybe that's where the name came from -- its about right size, but looks diff to me.

[Eric Layton]

You are right Jeffrey, it looks different to me also. Thanks for the quick information search. That's what I like about this forum. Eric

[Roy]

The leaves are different, but look at the similiarities in some of the names:

Bambusa rivularis

Greslania rivularis
Vue d'ensemble. Rivi?re Bleue.

Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum'

[marcat]

Eric your pictures sure look like one of the smaller leaf B.multiples to me almost perfectly.
Different looking Bamboo there Litibu what environmental parameters do Greslania like?
MarCat

[litibu]

marcat...

I agree it looks diff to me as well. I only posted it because it has the name rivularis, which is the name the questionable boo was being called.

I dont have any experience with it at all and have never seen it in person. Its just an obscure clumper i found online and in ohrnberger's "bamboos of the world"

It's from New Caledonia, which apparently has a cimate of "eternal spring"

The warm season, from September to March, has temperatures averaging between 25?C and 27?C or 77?F and 80?F, with short occasional rains.

The cool season, from April to August, has temperatures averaging between 20?C and 23?C or 68?F and 73?F, but water temperature stays warm enough for swimming.

Sounds nice doesnt it!